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The April 17 tax filing deadline is less than a month away, so if you haven't submitted your return, it's time to get moving.But that's no reason to rush through it.Whether you decide to go it alone or hire a tax preparer to help, make sure you avoid these costly mistakes.1. Making careless errorsBlame it on fat fingers, deadline pressure or plain carelessness, technical errors like the wrong Social Security number, name misspellings or a simple math error can cause problems and delays with your return.Tax software programs can flag errors like this, but every filer should still pay close close attention when reviewing their returns before sending them in, particularly pen-and-paper filers.2. Using the wrong filing statusThere are five filing options: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household and qualifying widow/widower with dependent child.Choosing the right status is important as it affects how much you pay in taxes. For instance, filing as head of household provides more benefits than married filing separately, explained Mark Steber, chief tax officer of Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.3. Forgetting to report incomeUncle Sam needs to know about all your sources of income last year: your salary, side-hustle cash, retirement withdrawals and gambling winnings. All of it.So don't leave anything out. If you get caught with unclaimed income, you could get hit with major penalties.4. Hiring a pro when you can DIYSome people have very complicated tax situations where an expert needs to be brought in. But many Americans have simple filings that might not require professional assistance, the experts said.If you have an adjusted gross income of ,000 or less, check if you can file your federal taxes for free using the IRS's Free File software options.5. Not taking all eligible deductionsDon't leave money on the table or pay more in taxes than you have to.Take the time to figure out which credits and deductions you're eligible for to reduce your tax liability and get as much back as possible. The IRS isn't going to tell you if you missed a valuable credit you could have claimed, said Steber.The Earned Income Tax Credit, for example, is commonly overlooked, with about one in five eligible taxpayers missing out on it, according to H&R Block. It's a sizeable credit with an average amount of more than ,400.6. Being disorganizedTax forms tend start rolling in at the start of the year that detail your sources of income.Some forms will come in the mail, while others can be retrieved electronically. Just be sure to collect them all before you file.Lisa Greene-Lewis, a CPA and tax expert from Turbo Tax, suggested keeping a folder by your mail so you can instantly drop the paperwork in and keep everything in one place.It's also helpful to keep an updated log throughout the year for things like mileage and charitable donations that you plan to claim on your return.7. ProcrastinatingTax season comes every year, there's no escaping it.While the actual deadline may vary (read why here), you know you have to send in your taxes every April. Yet many Americans scramble to get their returns in.By waiting until the last minute, you increase your risk of mistakes.8. Not filing a returnNot everyone has to file a tax return. But even if you don't have any tax liability, it could be in your best interest to file anyway.The IRS will only issue refunds to filers. So if you had too much federal taxes withheld from your paycheck or are eligible for other credits, you have to file a return to get the money.Earlier this month, the IRS said it had .1 billion in unclaimed federal income tax refunds for around 1 million people who didn't file a tax return in 2014.  3747

TAMPA, Fla. ¡ª Within one month, someone splashed four cars with an acid-like liquid in busy Tampa parking lots.Deputies are not sure if the incidents are related. The most recent happened in a shared parking lot near the AMC Veterans movie theater and Starbucks off Anderson Road.The scenario is the same in all of these situations. Some sort of corrosive liquid is poured onto the doors of the cars which damages paint, metal and plastic on the car.Two panels on Gary Schaff¡¯s 2015 white Mercedes had to be repainted. He was parked in the lot off Anderson Road two nights in a row as he and his family caught up on the latest Marvel movies at AMC."When we came out to the car which was a little bit of a walk away from the theater, it looked as if there was almost shaving cream or foam on the side of the car,¡± Schaff said. "We're like, what is that?¡±As his family got closer, they realized the white paint had bubbled up. By the time they got home a lot of it had flaked off and exposed the metal underneath. "I don't even know what I would say to someone who thinks it¡¯s a good idea to do something like that,¡± Schaff said. "What does it accomplish exactly?"Hillsborough County deputies say a 2007 BMW was vandalized the same way in a Publix parking lot off N. Dale Mabry on April 11 and a 2017 Porsche SUV was damaged by a corrosive liquid in the Heath Integrated parking lot on April 23. All three attacked occurred within a few miles of each other. The Tampa Police Department responded to a 2011 Audi with similar damage at International Mall on April 15."It's just to me a completely random thing, and it's really hard to prevent,¡± Schaff said. "Have insurance on your car."While Schaff must pay a 0 deductible, his insurance company will cover the rest of the amount needed to repair the damage.He asked the movie theater about security cameras but believe the ones on the building catch the area of the parking lot his car was in."I hope the person gets caught, and brought to whatever justice there would be from this and learns a lesson not to do this,¡± said Schaff.Scripps station WFTS in Tampa reached out to the property owners of this parking lot to see what type of security they have and is waiting to get an official response. 2387

The banana phone is back.A startup that licenses the Nokia phone brand has unveiled a new version of the 8110, a curved mobile phone that was first released in 1996 and featured in "The Matrix."The phone, which is offered in banana yellow and black, will sell for €79 (). It comes loaded with a new version of the game Snake, Finnish startup HMD said in a statement."This is a return to the glory years of Nokia," said Ian Fogg, senior analyst at IHS Markit. "But it also includes all the new technology."The 8110 comes with 4G, and a handful of apps including Google Maps, Facebook and Twitter. But it doesn't have a flashy operating system and users won't be able to download other popular apps.Fogg said that basic -- or "feature" -- phones are appealing because they are reliable, and can run for a long time on a single charge. The 8110 goes 25 days in standby mode, for example.Nokia used to be the world's largest maker of mobile phones, but it struggled to adapt to the era of smartphones and compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung.Microsoft purchased the company's handset business in 2013, but later unwound the deal. Nokia now focuses on making technology for telecommunications networks.HMD, which has licensed the Nokia brand since 2016, sold over 70 million handsets in 2017, according to IHS. That puts its sales, on an annualized basis, in the same league as Sony and Lenovo."HMD's strategy clearly aims to return Nokia to be a mobile market leader, even if it's too early for HMD to realistically target displacing Samsung or Apple," Fogg said.Nokia marketed the original 8110 as "the first of its kind in terms of its ergonomics." Its battery lasted up to six days, and it was able to store 16 ring tones and up to 324 names and numbers."It feels good in the hand and fits into any pocket. The revolutionary curved design fits the natural shape of your face," the company said in a press release at the time.  1948

Summer driving will be more expensive this year. Thanks, OPEC.Prices at the pump are likely to be 14% higher than last summer ¡ª an average of .74 per gallon, the US government estimated on Tuesday.The price of oil has climbed because of efforts by OPEC and Russia. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged 3.5% on Tuesday to .04 a barrel, the highest since late 2014. That's already above the EIA forecast of for this summer, suggesting gas prices could go even higher. Brent crude averaged just last summer.Summer driving season, which the EIA considers April through September, is historically when demand peaks for gasoline as Americans go on vacation. The EIA expects highway travel to increase 1.3% over last summer.Although gas is well below the a gallon prices of 2008, it has risen because of the recovery in the oil markets. The average gallon of gasoline fetched .66 on Tuesday, according to AAA. That's up from .39 last year, just as summer driving season was beginning.Of course, those are just national averages. West Coast states are grappling with more pain at the pump.Drivers in California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington State, Hawaii and Alaska already pay more than per gallon, according to AAA. California's average gas price has jumped to .52, compared with .99 a year ago.After crashing to just a barrel in early 2016, crude oil has more than doubled in price. Supply in the United States is very strong. Production of crude recently hit record high because of the shale oil boom.But foreign oil supply is down, largely because of OPEC's efforts to boost prices by curbing production. Saudi Arabia-led OPEC and Russia reached an agreement in late 2016 to pump less oil. OPEC and its allies agreed last November to extend the cuts through the end of 2018.The production cuts are designed to reduce the global oil glut ¡ª and they appear to be working, judging by the recovery in prices and decline in stockpiles.Saudi Arabia decided last year to slash shipments of oil to the United States, the market watched most closely by oil traders. American imports of Saudi crude declined 14% last year to the lowest since 1988, according to the EIA.At the same time, the United States is shipping record amounts of oil overseas?since Congress lifted a ban on most exports in 2015. US oil exports have nearly quadrupled since then. 2409

TAMPA ¡ª Wearing masks is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 ¡ª and health experts say everyone should continue to care for their face coverings to ensure protection when in public.After wearing a mask for a few months, doctors say there are some clear, tell-tale signs that it is no longer working correctly."When the edges start to fray or if the pieces where they connect start to fall apart, or if they are visibly soiled, then you should really get a new mask," said Dr. Tracey Taylor, the associate dean of USF College of Nursing.Experts also say that if a mask no longer fits over the nose or doesn't have a close fit around the face or chin, it's time to get a new one."It's super important to make sure your mask is fitting appropriately, that it's not visibly soiled, that the edges aren't frayed and that the attachments to the ear loops or tie backs ¡ª whatever type you're wearing ¡ª is appropriately attached," Taylor said.For those who own cloth masks, experts say owners need to remember to wash them. Experts say washing cloth mask with detergent or soap is best and that they don't need to be washed with super hot water. Those who own cloth masks with filters should remove the filter and clean it separately.However, there's another option."You can put them in a paper bag and seal it up for a couple of days. That'll inactivate any virus that's on it," said Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of public health practice at USF.After several months, experts say they have more information about which masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.Cloth masks are most effective when they have at least three layers of material or a spot to add a filter. They're typically the easiest for the general public to use because they're reusable, and doctors say the research shows they mostly prevent the spread of the virus.Although any face covering is better than none, some aren't as effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.Experts say bandanas are very thin and don't offer the same type of protection as a mask.Doctors say any mask with a valve on it is completely ineffective because the valve allows virus-carrying particles to leak out.Popular neck gaiters that wearers can easily pull up and down don't provide a lot of protection for the wearer or those around them."If you find yourself with a single layer, you could use something like a paper towel inside there to add an extra layer if you need to," Levine said.Experts advise keeping two masks on hand in case one gets lost or breaks."There's no one thing that we do that will protect us to the highest level. It's a series of things," Levine said.This story was originally published by Larissa Scott on WFTS in Tampa, Florida. 2755

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